N2CQR

7/20/2015

Episode 050 - Bill Meara - N2CQR

Bill Meara, N2CQR, rediscovered his love of homebrewing while on professional assignment for the American Foreign Service, in the Azores. He has since traveled the World with his family and ham radio while at the same time building homebrew transceivers using the Manhattan method. Bill joins, Eric, 4Z1UG, in his QSO Today.

Transcript

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Grandmother said that Bill was "electrically inclined"

Dilbert - The Knack - "The Curse of the Engineer"

Apollo 11 Moon Landing, Neil Armstrong

Jean Shepherd, K2ORS, had a popular radio show on WOR, in New York. His radio shows are preserved here.

First Radio Club: Crystal Radio Club - W2DMC

First Elmer: Hilmar Maier, WB2NEC

First License: Novice, April 1973, WN2QHL

First SWL Receiver: Lafayette Electronics HA600A

First Transmitter: Heathkit DX40 transmitter, active on 40 and 15 meters as a teenager.

Receiver Upgrade: Drake 2B receiver

Transmitter Upgrade: Hallicrafters HT-37

First DX Contact: Vic Brosnan, ZL2ACP, Waipawa, New Zealand, on 15 meters

Army National Guard - Signal Battalion - Bill spent his "gap" year in the Army National guard.

Bill aquired his current call sign, N2CQR, when he was stationed in the Dominican Republic.

QRP Classics, By Robert Schetgen, KU7G, published by the ARRL. from Amazon

W1VD, Jay Rusgrove, QRP transmitter appeared in QRP Classics.

Homebrew Construction Practices:

Manhattan Method Electronic Construction - Dave Richards, AA7EE, has an excellent article with pictures on this method of home-brewing, here.
Here is another, by Paul Harden, NA5N, on the Manhattan method with step by step instructions

N2CQR's Mighty Midget Receiver

BITX20 and BITX17 is a transceiver designed by Ashlan Farhan, VU3ICQ. It is available from Pacific Antenna in kit form.

N2CQR 17 Meter Double Sideband Project using a design based on work by Doug Demaw,

Sprat Magazine - quarterly, from the GQRP Club.

Ramsey Electronic Kits - RF linear ampilfier

Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder - a computer history

Test Equipment

N2CQR Links:

SolderSmoke Blog and Podcast
SolderSmoke Podcast Archives
Gadgeteer
Soldersmoke - Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics
New Scientist Magazine, April 2005 - about podcasts
Contra Cross: Insurgency and Tyranny in Central America, 1979 -1989, by William Meara.
Us and Them, by William Meara

Join our QSO Today Community

The RSS Feed for all audio content from QSO today is available from here.

Please join our QSO Today community by pressing the button below. It is the best way to suggest guests and topics, and provide feedback to Eric, 4Z1UG.

Lafayette HA-600 General Coverage Receiver

Drake 2B Receiver

N2CQR BitX Hamshack

Inside the BitX20 SSB Transceiver

3 Comments

Dexter N Muir

7/21/2015 07:02:08 pm

Hi Eric

Your RSS could be better presented: As viewed in Akregator (Kubuntu linux's reader), the listing gives only the callsign of interviewee. The associated article views well in the preview pane, and shows a more "eyesome" title: the raw text of this would serve well in the listing.

On first listing, only 2 months' back issues show. In raw text format, this could do well to list ALL issues, which would not be a large or long transfer, and so could well include specials (distinctive by lack of callsign in title?). A better first impression for new RSSers...

Hopefully helpfully, Dex, ZL2DEX

Eric 4Z1UG

7/23/2015 10:00:22 pm

Dear Dex - I am not sure how to fix this. I will look into it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Bill McMillan

7/23/2015 08:36:57 am

Eric,

Great interview with N2CQR !!! I am a huge fan of Soldersmoke and just recently heard of your podcast on one of Bill and Pete's episodes. Nice job of cross-pollinating on both of your parts.

It was fun to hear Bill on the "other side of the table" and I'm sure you enjoyed having such a well articulated and thoughtful guest.

Anyone who has not listened to Soldersmoke is missing a delightful opportunity to pull up a chair with a couple of very interesting and generally good-humored electronic wizards.

Thanks and keep the QSO's coming!
Bill
N0YUD

N2CQR

Episode 050 - Bill Meara - N2CQR

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